LJ Echols

LJ Echols grew up in the small Mississippi town of Bassfield which is right outside of Hattiesburg. LJ Echols music career started early with a gospel background. He played bass in his family's group "The Echols Family". In the interim of his new found success, they released their first Gospel Album in 1995 and the second album in 1997.

After the success of the gospel album LJ Echols decided moved to Dallas, TX to endeavor into the R&B (Rhythm & Blues) style of music. LJ Echols along with his brothers and cousins formed an R&B grouped called the 4- Sho Band. LJ Echols-bass player and background singer, Demertic Echols- Lead Singer, Sedrick Echols- drum player, Carlos McLoud- second lead singer and background singer. The 4-Sho Band all shared a part of playing, singing, and writing their own music.

In 2004 LJ Echols started his solo career as a Southern Soul Artist. LJ Echols is very talented and versatile when it comes to music. LJ Echols plays, writes, produce, and sings his own music. In his new found success he released his first CD entitled, ?Well Runs Dry? in the beginning of 2005 that is now playing across Mississippi, Texas, and other cities and states.

LJ Echols has opened up for different artists such as Bobby Blue Bland, Marvin Cease, Sir Charles Jones, Denise La'Salle, Mel Waiters, Lenny Williams, Shirley Brown, Jeff Floyd, Cole Payne from the hit television show Martin, legendary jazz artist Roy Ayers and Les McCann, and this is just a few artist he has opened up for. With LJ Echols "Another Level" album, he had the help from Mel Waiters and Sir Charles Jones each to produce a tracked such as "Swangers Only" and "I'm Gone Party." LJ Echols has become more independent, empowered, and has many more hit songs coming to Southern Soul. In the past couple of years LJ has had band members to come and go but he have had a solid band that been with him for 3 years now called the Neckbone Band: Bass Guitar- Ken, Lead guitar Kingston, Keyboards Dre, and last but not least on drums his brother Sedrick "Spunky" Echols. LJ Echols is not only musically inclined, but is an unstoppable artist who wants to achieve more lucrative goals and success in the music industry.

SIR CHARLES JONES

2019 PERFORMERS

Jones was born in Akron, Ohio. When he was young, his family moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where he was raised. It was in Birmingham where his singing career started. Jones taught himself how to write his own music, as well as arranging and producing it. In his early career, he worked under the guidance and tutelage of Marvin Sease. His style ranges from jazz to fusion, and from gospel to blues.is first album, Sir Charles Jones, was released in 2000. A review in Living Bluespraised Jones' vocals and stated, "for a largel

His first album, Sir Charles Jones, was released in 2000. A review in Living Blues praised Jones' vocals and stated, "for a largely-programmed effort, this disk percolates with sensuality and emotional heat." Jones' next album, Love Machine, spent 57 weeks on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where it peaked at number 28 in June 2002. Living Blues credited the ballad "Is There Anybody Lonely?" for increasing the attention on Jones by soul and blues radio. The magazine added, "his success bodes well for the future of soul/blues as a viable contemporary music."

A motorcycle accident in 2003 left Jones in a coma for several days. After a long and full recovery, he released Thank You for Holding On in 2006. Two years later, he released a compilation album, My Story, and a music DVD, Sir Charles Jones: His Life & Times - Undisputed King of Southern Soul.

Born Robert Smith, Bigg Robb began his journey in the music industry as a teenage disc jockey at a small radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio in the late '70s. Through the early '80s he stayed in radio, focusing on soul and funk artists such as Bootsy Collins, Midnight Star, Zapp & Roger, and other greats of the era, often interviewing these artists on his shows. Eventually he fell in with a circle of soul and funk stars, hanging out in recording studios with them and ultimately coming under the mentorship of Roger Troutman, who enlisted Smith as his driver, then as a member of his band Zapp, all the while encouraging Smith to record his own original music.

After Troutman's death in 1999, Smith took on the Bigg Robb moniker and set out on a solo career with the 2002 album Grown Folk's Muzic. Embracing Midwest funk, Southern soul, and gospel alike, Bigg Robb's catalog grew at a prolific rate as he offered up new music nonstop for the years that followed. He went on to release multiple albums of his spirited R&B-infused sounds, including highlights like 2009's Jerri Curl Muzic, 2012's Juke Joint Music, and 2015's Showtime.